[Infographic] 20 Things You Didn’t Know about Samsung

1. MEANING OF THE SAMSUNG LOGO: In Korean, the word Samsung means “three stars.” The name was chosen by Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull whose vision was for his company to become powerful and everlasting like stars in the sky. The three stars remained as the company logo in various forms until 1993 when the current logo was introduced.

2. NEW MANAGEMENT: In June of 1993, while on a global tour, Samsung’s chairman, Lee Kun Hee arrived in Germany at a hotel in Frankfurt. He summoned all of Samsung’s executives from around the world for a senior meeting, where he gave a three day speech laying out his vision for the future of Samsung and what the company had to do to become successful. The most famous quote that came from the speech was: “Change everything except for your family.” Since then, Samsung has risen to become a global leader in consumer electronics. June 2013 will mark the 20th anniversary of New Management.

3. COMMITMENT TO QUALITY: In March 1995, Samsung’s Chairman Lee Kun Hee was not content with the quality of Samsung products. In order to get his employees to better understand the importance of quality, he had his staff assemble a pile of 150,000 phones and fax machines in a field outside the Gumi factory in South Korea. More than 2,000 employees gathered to watch the destruction of the old devices, ushering in a new era centered around product quality. Ever since that day, we have focused on creating high-quality premium products that have gained critical and commercial success globally.

4. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER: Samsung’s culture is as diverse as the world in which we live. With 236,000 employees in 79 countries around the world, we look for ways to solve problems and meet consumer needs. Since 1993, Samsung’s Human Resource Development Center has offered 64 courses to 53,400 employees. It has deployed 5,045 Regional Specialists globally to drive global understanding and cultural awareness throughout the company. Regional Specialists is Samsung’s unique global training program in which employees spend one year in another country. Aside from their everyday work, the regional specialists have ample opportunities to explore the country’s culture, language and customs.

5. SAMSUNG THROUGH AND THROUGH: To ensure the highest quality products, 90% of Samsung products are produced by within Samsung’s own factories. We ensure a rigorous level of quality to every component that goes into our devices.

6. PEOPLE: With over 230,000 employees around the world, we are as much a local company as we are a global one. Our ties to the community run deep, as does our commitment to local investment and R&D efforts. We don’t just build an office, we look for ways to provide jobs, bring in new business and sponsor local events. We believe in the power of community to provide opportunity and spur creativity.

7. REVENUE: Samsung’s revenue in 2012 was $188 billion. By 2020, Samsung plans to reach $400 billion in revenue. This target will be driven by a continued focus on consumer electronics, but also through a concerted drive into new growth areas, such as enterprise sales and medical devices

8. THE SAMSUNG BRAND: Samsung was ranked 9th on the 2012 Interbrand Best Global Brands list. That is eight places higher than the year before and represents a 40% jump in brand value. Our brand promise is creating products and services that expand experience and open possibilities – possibilities for everyone, everywhere. And it means upholding a belief in shared responsibility – to our people, our planet and our society.

9. WORLD’S FIRST: Our products and services are made with users in mind; our designers aim to go beyond function to create technology that is an intuitive extension of people’s needs and lifestyles.

We constantly strive to create new experiences; we’ve done so for years. In 1996, Samsung commercialized the world’s first CDMA cellular system; in 1998, we invented the world’s first digital TV set. In 1999, we introduced the world’s first watch phone (SPH-WP10) as well as world’s first mp3 phone (SCH-M210/SPH-M2500) and the first TV Phone (SCH-M220).

10. NO.1 IN SMARTPHONES: Our goal is to deliver the best possible experience to every consumer; that’s why we work constantly to deliver the most intuitive experiences – along with the world’s best innovation and design – to the palm of a user’s hand. Samsung has sold more than 100 million GALAXY S series smartphones worldwide. Sales continue to increase, but in January 2013 the original GALAXY S had sold 24.6 million units, and the GALAXY S II and GALAXY S III had each sold over 40 million units.

11. NO.1 IN TVs: We see television as much more than just a screen. It’s a window – a window into new experiences, new discoveries and new possibilities. We make televisions for every market. We offer premium TVs with Smart Hub that sets new standards for performance, usability and design. We truly believe in innovation for all; that’s why 100 Samsung TVs are sold every minute and we’ve been the world’s most successful TV manufacturer for the past seven straight years.

12. MEMORY NO.1: Samsung has been a leader in the design and manufacturing of memory semiconductors since 1993. We create essential memory products, including dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), NAND flash memory, Solid State Drives (SSD) and a range of green memory solutions for use in PC, server and mobile applications. Samsung is also leading the industry in the advancement of next generation DRAM and NAND flash technologies while nurturing future memory technologies.

13. R&D INVESTMENT: In 2012, Samsung spent $10.8 billion in R&D or about 6% of the revenue. We didn’t get to be the world’s largest electronics company by telling customers one size fits all. We got there by trying new things and not being afraid to take risks. More than 25% of our workforce is dedicated to R&D and it is this relentless pursuit forward – investing in the new and unknown – that is the basis of our success.

14. R&D CENTERS: There are 33 R&D centers around the world. These include diverse locations such as Russia, India, Israel and China, as well as more established markets like North America, U.K., Japan and Korea. We make our products with the local consumer in mind; our designers and product developers travel the world, looking for ways to address specific local needs through technological innovation. We aim to create products that help make people’s lives better, regardless of where they are.

15. DESIGN CENTERS: Our commitment to design began more than 40 years ago and today there are six design centers in London, San Francisco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Delhi, , and Seoul. We hold more iF and IDEA design awards than any other technology company; in 2012 Samsung received 44 iF Awards and 7 IDEA Awards in 2012 – the most of any nominee.

16. PATENTS: Our technology is about more than just sharing information; it’s a gateway to new experiences; our products aren’t just practical – they’re helping people to discover things they’d never dreamed possible. To achieve this, we innovate relentlessly. That’s why Samsung is the No.1 holder of design- and mobile-related patents worldwide. In the US, Samsung holds the second-highest number of patents, with 5,081 patents registered by the US Patent Office in 2012.

17. PURSUIT OF INNOVATION: At Samsung we put creativity at the center of what we do. That’s reflected in products that give our customers the power to express their own unique talents and individuality. Samsung Galaxy Note II with S Pen provides faster, more accurate input.

18. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION: Innovation at Samsung means more than new capabilities and smarter product features. Equally important is saving energy and using safe materials – merging advanced technology with a commitment social responsibility. You’ll see this throughout our range of products and services. From phone screens that save power by dimming when you look away, to washers that are made for cold water usage, we’re working smartly so you can, too.

From 2013, 100% of products are set to receive global standard environmental certifications. Samsung also ranked as the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index and was voted ENERGY STAR ‘Partner of the Year’ for the third-consecutive year in 2013. [

19. GREEN INVESTMENT: At Samsung. We uphold a belief in shared responsibility – to our people, our planet and our society. That’s why we hold ourselves to the highest standards along all areas of our supply chain and why we expect all those we work with to do the same. We will have invested $4.8 Billion between 2009 and 2013 to reduce 85 million tons of greenhouse gases and Greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing have been reduced by 40% from 2009 levels.

We believe technology can change our world for the better. It can open up a universe of ideas. It can spark unknown passions. And it can connect people half a world away. That’s why, every day, we’re thinking of new ways to bring our technology to more people across the globe. For us, it’s about more than just products and services. We believe technology can open the door to a world of new possibilities.